Overview

The S&P/ASX 200 Health Care Index encompasses two main industry groups. The first includes companies who manufacture health care equipment and supplies or provide health care related services, and owners and operators of health care products, providers of basic health-care services, and owners and operators of health care facilities and organisations. The second group includes companies primarily involved in the research, development, production and marketing of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology products.

Listed biotechnology companies including major Australian success stories in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical practice and pathology and junior life sciences and medical device companies. Larger capitalised companies feature well known names such as CSL, Resmed and Cochlear. The smaller capitalised listed companies largely consist of junior biotechnology and medical device companies at various stages of research, development and commercialisation.

The S&P/ASX 200 Health Care Index has 151 listed companies on the ASX with a total market capitalisation of AUD$49 billion. (September 2010 ASX)

The top 20 Australian listed life science companies were valued at AUD$32.9 billion, of these 40% were Victorian and they also accounted for 62% of the aggregate value (30 September 2010).

The aggregate capitalisation of Victoria’s 42 listed life science companies was AUD$21.4 billion (30 September 2010).

Listed Victorian life science companies raised AUD$145 million for development purposes in FY 2010.

Sales from Victorian biotechnology companies were AUD$8.8 billion and the 42 listed companies generated an aggregate profit of AUD$551 million in FY2010.

Total export income and international licensing, partnering and royalty income was in excess of AUD$810 million for Victorian companies in FY2010.

There are 231 products in development in Victoria, with 88 of these at the clinical stages of development.

 

Code of Best Practice for Reporting by Life Science Companies

In a world-first, the ASX in conjunction with the industry organisation AusBiotech developed The Code of Best Practice for Reporting by Life Science Companies (PDF 1183KB). The Code is designed to bridge the information gap between  biotechnology companies and investors by providing a disclosure framework that identifies the key drivers of value for life science companies. It gives guidance to companies on the information investors need to make informed investment decisions and ultimately acts to support investor confidence in the sector.

Links

Publications covering listed biotechnology companies:

Biotech Daily

Bioshares

Aegis

Biotechnology News